Letter to President calls on him for permanent protection for Atlantic Coast from offshore drilling

We, the Business Alliance for Protecting the Atlantic Coast (BAPAC), represent over 35,000 businesses and 500,200 commercial fishing families from Maine to Florida, and are writing to call on you to permanently protect the Atlantic from offshore oil and gas drilling, and to deny all Atlantic seismic airgun blasting permits.

BAPAC recognizes that offshore oil and gas activities are fundamentally at odds with our economies and our way of life. Our currently thriving East Coast businesses are reliant upon healthy ocean ecosystems and are inextricably tied to clean, coastal waters. Oil and gas exploration and development activities threaten the vibrant coastal environment that supports nearly 1.4 million jobs and contributes $95 billion to the annual gross domestic product, mainly through tourism, commercial fishing and recreation.

We applaud your Administration’s decision to remove the Atlantic from offshore drilling through 2022. Now it is time to give permanent protection to the Atlantic Coast.

If protected, the Atlantic coast has a lot to give this country for generations to come. We implore you to protect our businesses and our communities by permanently banning offshore drilling and denying seismic exploration off our coast. With the incoming administration’s position on expanding dirty and dangerous drilling activities, it is more important than ever to instill this permanent protection to the Atlantic. Such offshore activities are a direct threat to our local economies, our bountiful ocean environment, and the very fabric of our coastal communities.

Sincerely,

Frank KnappPresident & CEO
South Carolina Small Business Chamber of Commerce

Aimee TaylorExecutive Director
Virginia Beach Restaurant Association

Thomas KiesPresident and CEO
Carteret County Chamber of Commerce

Marilou HalvorsenPresident and CEO
New Jersey Restaurant and Hospitality Association